The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-13

all. When the car Is full no extrs
coaches ears built at the shop 20
hold just SO many and nobody else
allowed or But you don't often
hear OF an accident on that road. Its
run right up to the rules"
Maybe you joined the Free
Ihinkers7" | said.
d" Scrub road" said the brakeman
" dirt roadbsd and no ballast; no
time card apd no train dispatcher.
AL! trains run Wild and every engi-
neer makes his own time just as he
pleases. SMOKE if you want to;
kind of fa-go-as-you-please road. Too
many side tracks and every switch
wide open all the time, with the
switchman sound asleep and the tar
get lamp dead out Get on as you
please and get off where you want
20. Don't have to show your tickets
and the conductor isn't expected TO
do anything but amuse the passen-
gers. No, sir. ! was offered a pass
but | didn't like the line. | don't
travel on a road that has no termi.
nus. Do YOU know sir, asked a
division superintendent where that
road ran to, and he said he hoped to
die if he knew. | asked him if the
general superintendent could tell
me, and he SAID he didn't believe
they had a general superintendent,
and if they had he didn't know any
thing more about the road than the
passengers. | asked him who he
reported to, and he said nobody
[ asked a conductor who he got his
orders from, and he said he didn't
take orders from any liviCg man or
dead ghost. And when | asked the
engineer who he cot his orders from
he sale he'd like to see anybody
give him orders; he'd run tue train
to suit himself or he'd ruu into a
ditch. Now you see sir, I'm rail
road man and | don't care to run
on a road that has no time, makes
no connections, runs nowhere aud
has no general superintendent. 1t
may be all right, but Eve railroaded
too long to understand it,"
Maybe you went to the Congre-
gatonal church,"
"Fopular road" said the brake
man " an old road, too-One of the
very oldest in the country. Good
road bed and comfortable cars.
Well-managed road, too; directors
don't interfere with division superin-
tendents and train orders. Roads
mighty popular, but it's pretty indie
pendent, too. Yes but didn't one
of the division superintendent IS
down east discontinue one of the
oldest stations on that line two or
three years ago? But it's mighty
pleasant road to travel on. Always
mas such pleasant class Of passeE-
gers"
did you try the Methodist?' |
SAID.
"Now you are shouting - he said
with some enthusiasm. "NiCe road,
eh? Fast time and plenty of pas
sengers. Engines carry a power of
steam and don't you forget it; steam
gauge shows hundred and enough
all the time. Lively road when the
conductors shout all aboard you
can hear it at the next station. Ev~
cry train light shines like a head
light. Stop over checks are given
op al through tickets; passengers
can drop off tbs train as often as
they like, and stay at the station two
or three days and hop on the next
revival train that comes laundering
along. Good whole -souled compan-
i0nable conductors; amt road in
the country where tue passengers
feel mole at home. No passes; ev-
cry passenger pays full traffic rates
for his ticket, Wesley anhouse air
bi axes on all trains too, pretty safe
road, but | didn't ride oyer it yester-
day"
"Perhap. you tried the Baptist"
| guessed once more.
"Ah, ha," said the brakem an,
''she's a daisy, isn't she? River
road, beautiful curves: sweep around
anything to keep close to the river,
but it's all steel rail and rock ballast
single track all the way and not q
side track from the round house to
the terminus. Takes heap Of wa
to run it through, double tanks at
every station, and there isn't an en-.
CINE in the shops that can pull q
pound or run a mile with leSs than
two gauges. But it runs through a
lovely country; those river roads
always do, river Oh one side and
hills on the other and it's a steady